arrangements are not his business.”
I drew in a breath. I hadn’t thought about it like that. Sharing the details of our party with others would have made us more vulnerable—and further complicated the already complicated politics out here. Rather than blindsiding us, the Warlock had tried to do us a favor.
“Thank you,” I said. “Sir, about the Guild, I have tried to give Alex a full report—”
“Alex may have been a no-show, but he’s kept us informed—and none of that ‘sir’ stuff. You do not report to me,” the Warlock said. “The Guild demanded a seat on the Council because the work you are doing is too important to proceed without oversight—but it’s your show.”
“Thanks again,” I said.
“And don’t be too hard on Carnes. His goals aren’t really that different from yours,” the Warlock said. “In fact, Ms. Frost, I had hoped to introduce you not just to Carnes but to several other magicians—but after that Oakland business, we should wait.”
“Really?” I said. “But I wasn’t even the target—”
“San Francisco’s public officials in charge of the regulation of magic are very straitlaced. If there’s another assault, the Commissioner might have you taken into protective custody until ‘all the commotion dies down.’ ” The Warlock grimaced. “I’d . . . keep a low profile.”
“We’ll . . . try to stay out of trouble,” I said. “As much as we can, with a meeting with the Vampire Court and two public talks already on our schedule.”
“I wish you the best of luck with that, Dakota Frost,” the Warlock said. Then he grinned at Cinnamon. “And congratulations, Cinnamon, on your award. You and your mother should be very proud of your accomplishments, and we are glad to have you visit San Francisco.”
Soon, as the doors of the mission closed behind us, I sighed in relief.
“That could have gone worse,” I said. “And we’re free until tonight, yes?”
“Old-school vampires,” Darkrose said, with a smile, “do have a constrained schedule.”
“Oh, you do so love your daylight,” Saffron said, smiling at her.
“Not as much as I love she who gave it back to me,” Darkrose said.
“Lovebirds, get a room,” I said, unexpectedly happy for them. Not so long ago, I had been consumed with jealousy and bitterness. It felt . . . good, not carrying that around anymore. “Well, an afternoon in San Francisco isn’t the worst thing in the world. Preferences?”
“First, we must feed,” Saffron said. “If I don’t get some Chinese food in me, I’m liable to sink my fangs into the nearest Chinese person. After that”—her smile grew very wicked—“Darkrose and I would like to go . . . shopping.”
I blinked. That so wasn’t my space. “All right,” I said. “Any preferences? Chinatown, two birds with one stone? Haight-Ashbury?” I glanced at Saffron’s outfit; she had turned her eye to fashion lately. “You aren’t suggesting we go shopping in Union Square?”
“Macy’s? Bloomingdale’s? ” Darkrose said archly. “I think not.”
———
“ We were thinking,” Saffron said, “of a place we could find . . . something in leather.”
11. At Last, My Back Is Complete Again
SOMA is a blasted neighborhood “SOuth of MArket Street” in San Francisco that has some of the best leather shops and nightclubs in the entire world. Saffron and Darkrose had planned a tour of virtually all of SOMA’s kinkier shops, starting with the discount Leather Etcetera, heading down Eighth Street to the Mister and Madame S fetish superstore, and continuing on to a variety of boot shops and corsetieres I’d only heard of, looking not just for themselves, but for our mutual friend Jinx—who had given Saffron a list before she and her new husband Doug had left on that boat tour this morning.
Unfortunately, most of the leather shops our vampire friends planned to visit were also sex shops, filled with rare and delightful toys that
I drew in a breath. I hadn’t thought about it like that. Sharing the details of our party with others would have made us more vulnerable—and further complicated the already complicated politics out here. Rather than blindsiding us, the Warlock had tried to do us a favor.
“Thank you,” I said. “Sir, about the Guild, I have tried to give Alex a full report—”
“Alex may have been a no-show, but he’s kept us informed—and none of that ‘sir’ stuff. You do not report to me,” the Warlock said. “The Guild demanded a seat on the Council because the work you are doing is too important to proceed without oversight—but it’s your show.”
“Thanks again,” I said.
“And don’t be too hard on Carnes. His goals aren’t really that different from yours,” the Warlock said. “In fact, Ms. Frost, I had hoped to introduce you not just to Carnes but to several other magicians—but after that Oakland business, we should wait.”
“Really?” I said. “But I wasn’t even the target—”
“San Francisco’s public officials in charge of the regulation of magic are very straitlaced. If there’s another assault, the Commissioner might have you taken into protective custody until ‘all the commotion dies down.’ ” The Warlock grimaced. “I’d . . . keep a low profile.”
“We’ll . . . try to stay out of trouble,” I said. “As much as we can, with a meeting with the Vampire Court and two public talks already on our schedule.”
“I wish you the best of luck with that, Dakota Frost,” the Warlock said. Then he grinned at Cinnamon. “And congratulations, Cinnamon, on your award. You and your mother should be very proud of your accomplishments, and we are glad to have you visit San Francisco.”
Soon, as the doors of the mission closed behind us, I sighed in relief.
“That could have gone worse,” I said. “And we’re free until tonight, yes?”
“Old-school vampires,” Darkrose said, with a smile, “do have a constrained schedule.”
“Oh, you do so love your daylight,” Saffron said, smiling at her.
“Not as much as I love she who gave it back to me,” Darkrose said.
“Lovebirds, get a room,” I said, unexpectedly happy for them. Not so long ago, I had been consumed with jealousy and bitterness. It felt . . . good, not carrying that around anymore. “Well, an afternoon in San Francisco isn’t the worst thing in the world. Preferences?”
“First, we must feed,” Saffron said. “If I don’t get some Chinese food in me, I’m liable to sink my fangs into the nearest Chinese person. After that”—her smile grew very wicked—“Darkrose and I would like to go . . . shopping.”
I blinked. That so wasn’t my space. “All right,” I said. “Any preferences? Chinatown, two birds with one stone? Haight-Ashbury?” I glanced at Saffron’s outfit; she had turned her eye to fashion lately. “You aren’t suggesting we go shopping in Union Square?”
“Macy’s? Bloomingdale’s? ” Darkrose said archly. “I think not.”
———
“ We were thinking,” Saffron said, “of a place we could find . . . something in leather.”
11. At Last, My Back Is Complete Again
SOMA is a blasted neighborhood “SOuth of MArket Street” in San Francisco that has some of the best leather shops and nightclubs in the entire world. Saffron and Darkrose had planned a tour of virtually all of SOMA’s kinkier shops, starting with the discount Leather Etcetera, heading down Eighth Street to the Mister and Madame S fetish superstore, and continuing on to a variety of boot shops and corsetieres I’d only heard of, looking not just for themselves, but for our mutual friend Jinx—who had given Saffron a list before she and her new husband Doug had left on that boat tour this morning.
Unfortunately, most of the leather shops our vampire friends planned to visit were also sex shops, filled with rare and delightful toys that
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